Pure Passion (8 page)

Lara

“Sorry, I got a little out of control back there,” Max said,
uncomfortable with my silence as we drove back to the house.

“Don’t be sorry, Max. I was the one who started it.  My
head’s just spinning a little.”

“It was fun,” Max replied with his signature smirk.

“Yes, it was," I replied.

I knew Max must’ve felt
as
if
things were moving really quickly, but for me it wasn’t fast enough. 
I had waited for years to be with him and had begrudgingly given up hope long
ago.  Even though it had only been a couple of weeks, I was already completely
vested, and that was a pretty scary feeling. "I like where we are at, Max,
but I don’t want to move too fast,” I said wanting to be the first one to say
what I knew he was thinking.

 “Are you a mind reader? I’m just coming off a bad break-up,
and I don’t want to screw this up.  I really like hangin’ out with you, and I
don’t want it to get awkward since we’re living under the same roof.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” 
But hoped wasn't
true.

“I really do like you a lot, though.” 

He looked at me with the most sincere look in his beautiful
blue eyes.

“That makes me happy, Max,” I answered.
God, I want to
have this man's babies!

Max

Okay. First, I practically molest her in her bed. Now,
I’m professing my feelings for her.  What the hell?  Keep up this pace, and
we’ll be married by fall.  I have to change my shorts when we get back to the
house.

“When are you going to get your stuff, Max?”  Lara asked,
interrupting my thoughts.

“Oh, I don’t know.  The thought of going over there makes me
sick.”

“I’ll go with you if you want.  When does she work?”

“Seriously?  You would do that?” 
You’re amazing!

“Hey, I’m not scared of Celeste.  I already confronted her
once in front of your workshop.”

“You did?  When?” I asked, totally at a loss.

“When you were passed out, she busted me sneaking out of
your place,” Lara confessed, with a sheepish grin.

“Oh, that’s funny.  What did she say?”  Knowing it would be
something rude.

“She said she wasn’t worried about you being with me because
I’m not your type.”

“Ouch!  That definitely sounds like something she’d say.”

“Yeah, I was tempted to kick her ass right there, but I took
the high road.”

 “That’s good.  After seeing you handle those mattresses, I
think she should be afraid of you.”

“Yeah, like I’m going to get in a cat fight or something. 
When do you want to go?” 

“We can go tomorrow.  She always works ten to six on
Saturdays.”  
There’s no way I would take Lara over there when she’s
around.  Man, would she be jealous.  

“It’s a date,” she replied, reaching over to grab my hand.

I was beginning to think that having a total blowout with
Celeste was one of the best things that could’ve happened to me.  It was hard
to believe how much my life had changed in two short weeks.  I gave Lara’s hand
a little squeeze and threw her a smile of appreciation
.  I don't know why I
put up with Celeste for nine years.  I definitely was pussy-whipped, just like
J.T. always told me.

Glancing at Lara, I had a feeling I was about to be
“whipped” again
.  I guess I’m one of those guys who can’t survive without a
girlfriend. But something tells me being with Lara would be a much better kind
of whipped.

~~~

The rest of the night, we all just hung out at the house
eating, drinking, and even getting a few things in order.  I had to laugh when
Hadley pointed out the lack of baseboard in the kitchen and the fact that the
kitchen table didn’t match the rest of the woodwork.  Derek rolled his eyes and
shook his head as she pointed out each of the obvious flaws that remained.

“I think you guys have done an amazing job this week.  I
never thought you would have both the bathroom and kitchen ready,” Lara
responded. 

“Thanks, I appreciate that,” Derek replied, glancing over at
Hadley. 

I knew he was trying to throw a hint her way, but she
appeared to be oblivious.  Growing up, Hadley was an only child and was used to
being pampered.  Derek adored her in spite of the way she ordered him around
and gave little in return.  It wasn’t until a few hours later that we began to
understand the true dynamics of their relationship.  Let’s just say it was an
interesting night…

Lara

After a really great kiss that lasted a good fifteen
minutes, I went up to my new room and got ready for bed.  I heard this low,
groaning sound while I washed my face, and then again while I brushed my
teeth.  I thought it sounded strange, but since I was in a new house, I assumed
it was something mechanical.  It wasn’t until I crawled into bed that I
realized it was moaning coming from Derek’s bedroom below.  I could hear the
faint sound of something clinking, as well.  At first, I couldn’t quite place
the noise, but it soon occurred to me that it was the clatter of handcuffs.

Oh, good Lord
!  The air conditioning vent must have
been connected directly between my bedroom and theirs.  I reached for my iPod,
but then curiosity struck when I started hearing slapping sounds.  Derek moaned
after each slap, so I assumed Hadley was the one doing the slapping. 
Interesting…

I lay back on the bed, anxious to hear what was going to
happen next.  There were two loud slaps, followed by a quieter one.  The weird
part was that after the quieter one Derek would give out a big groan. 
My
god, she must be slapping his balls or something! 
It was about that time
that the begging started.

“Please, Hadley, I need you…”  Slap!  Slap!  Slap!

“Don’t stop, Hadley. I love you…”  Slap!  Slap!  Slap!

“I’ve been a bad boy, please don’t stop...”  Slap!  Slap! 
Slap!

It went on for several minutes before the pattern finally
changed.  The mattress started creaking, as if someone were crawling across the
bed.  By that time I was totally intrigued, wanting to hear what happened next.

“Oh god, Hadley, that feels good.  No, don’t stop.  Please,
don’t stop!”

She would force him to beg and then would apparently start
doing something that he really liked again. Throughout college, I had lived in
dorms and apartments with various roommates.  There were occasions when I
overheard something I probably shouldn’t have, but nothing nearly as wild.  It was
as if audio pornography broadcast right into my bedroom. 

Once the bed started squeaking in earnest, I quickly learned
that Hadley was quite vocal, as well.  I wouldn’t classify her as a screamer,
just a very loud moaner.  It was apparently her turn to take over the audio
performance. Just as she was catching her stride, the air conditioning kicked
on which drown out much of the erotic graffiti that had been steaming into my
room.  I giggled to myself and settled in to get some sleep.  Then, of course,
I started thinking about Max who was sleeping just on the other side of my
wall.  Well, probably not sleeping.  He was most likely listening to the same
performance as me.  I heard the floor creak in the hallway outside my room. 
That
has to be him. He’s right outside my door.

Just as I got up to sneak a look, I heard his door close. 
Damn!

Getting back into bed, I grabbed my iPod and stuffed in the
ear buds
.  I need to get some sleep.  I have to work tomorrow night, so it’s
going to be a long day.
  I finally relaxed and drifted off, dreaming of how
my life with Max was going to play out.  During the night, I dreamt that I was
naked and that Max, as well as other strangers, kept coming into my room. 
Next, I was outside somewhere in the middle of the day, naked, trying to get
back to the house without being seen
.
The general theme was a whole lot
of naked, so obviously my hormones were in overdrive!

Max

That first night was interesting, to say the least.  After I
went down and clicked on the air conditioning, things quieted down a bit.  It
was obvious that the cold air return for my bedroom lead to the same ductwork
as the one in Derek’s room. 
That’s awkward...  I’ll have to either leave
that fan on, or invest in a good pair of earplugs.

I was the first one up Saturday morning; the whole house was
quiet until about nine o’clock.  Lara was the second one to come down, still in
her pjs and slippers. 

“Good morning, Max.  I decided it was best for you to see
right up front what I look like in the morning,” she said with a smile.

“Well, you look good,” I replied, running my fingers through
my own bed head hair.  Since she didn’t wear a lot of makeup, she looked about
the same as the night before.  That was definitely not the case with Celeste. 
The first time I saw her without her eye makeup was actually somewhat shocking.

“How did you sleep?” she asked with a smirk and that
devilish sparkle in her eyes.

“I slept pretty well after I turned the air conditioning
on.  It was too stuffy in my room.”

“Stuffy?  My room sounded like someone was shooting a porn
movie next door!”

Oh, my god…. That’s hilarious!
  It took me a moment
to recover as coffee just about shot out my nose
.  I love those innocent
looks on Lara’s face, when she says things like that.  She totally cracks me
up.

“I don’t know how I can casually tell Derek that we can hear
everything.  That’s why I’m gonna stick with telling him my room is stuffy so I
want to leave the fan running,” I explained.

“Ahhh, that’s probably a good idea.”

We each grabbed a coffee along with a slightly stale donut
and headed out to the patio.  It was a gorgeous morning, so we just sat in the
sun and talked.  She flipped off her slippers and pulled up her shorts to tan
her beautiful long legs. 
She really has sexy legs…  It’s also really cool
that she’s comfortable in her pjs, with no makeup.  I like her confidence.

Derek came out and grabbed one of the wicker chairs, soon
followed by his little dominatrix who plopped on his lap.  “How did everyone
sleep?” he asked.

“I had a hard time getting to sleep,” Lara replied, trying
not to crack a smile.  “It always takes me a while to get used to new
surroundings.  You know, the weird noises and all.” 

Shit, almost lost my coffee again.

“I slept like a rock,” Hadley chimed in.

Yeah, I’ll bet Derek slept like a rock too!

The four of us just chilled, talking about everything and
anything until almost noon.  Celeste would be off to work soon, so Lara and I
went to change and get ready to go pick up my stuff. 
It’s really nice to be
living with friends again.  Definitely beats crashing at the workshop.

~~~

Max

It felt really strange walking back into my old apartment. 
Everything looked the same, but just being there made me angry all over again. 
At least Lara came along and tried to lighten my mood.

“We could go make out in Celeste’s bed, if it would make you
feel better,” she said, giving me a nudge.

“The sad part is that it wasn’t even her bed.” 
I should
take it outside and burn it.

“I think you made the wise choice buying a new one.  Making
a fresh start.”

“Yeah, you can help me break-in that one instead.” 
I
can’t believe I’m comfortable saying that.

The only things I really wanted were my electric guitar, my
clothes, and my flat screen TV.  Celeste could have the rest. I also took a
couple of pictures from the living room because my mom was in them. 
I’ll
have to Photoshop Celeste out.

“You have to teach me how to play guitar,” Lara quipped,
carrying the amp out for me.

“Sure. That would be great if we could jam together.”

Nobody was ever interested in what I was doing when it came
to guitars, let alone wanting to learn how to play.

“I’ve played piano since I was five and played clarinet for
years, but I never picked up a guitar,” Lara said.

“I’m just the opposite. I learned to play guitar before I
could even read music.  I learned just by watching.”

“Well, I’m kind of a slow learner, so I might have to watch
you for hours, Max.” 

God, I love it when she gives me that coy smile of hers. 
Maybe we should go mess up Celeste’s bed.

Lara

It was good to see Max laughing, despite the fact that we
were back at the scene of the crime.  I loved the idea of him showing me how to
play guitar. 
Hell, he can teach me anything as long as I get to spend more
time with him.  I like the idea of him sitting behind me, close enough to
touch...  mmmm.

In the bedroom, Max was cleaning out the bottom of his
closet, so I snooped around the room.  The wrought iron headboard on his bed
caught my attention.  Besides the fact that it looked pretty cool, it would
also be incredibly functional. 
I wonder if Derek has one like it.  I could
definitely handcuff Max to this one.  Then I’d blind fold him and tease the
shit out of him.  I’d start by rubbing oil on his legs, working my way up his
body.  When I reached his cock, I would just tease him a little bit and then
move up to those beautiful abs.  I can just feel my slippery hands running
across them.

“Would you grab these, Lara?” Max asked, totally
interrupting my moment. 

 “Sure.  I was just thinking you should really take this
headboard for your bed.”

“Judging by that smirk, I have a feeling I know what you’re
thinking.  Just so you know, I’m not a pussy like Derek.  So, don’t expect me
to beg for it.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Max.  I just
think it’s a cool headboard.”

I carried Max’ shoes out to the truck to avoid getting
myself into trouble. 
Oh, I just had another nasty thought.  Shit, I’m
really starting to frustrate myself.  I wish I didn’t have to work tonight.

~~~

When we got back to the house, I had to take a shower and
get ready for work.  My thoughts kept wandering back to Max as I thoroughly
soaped up and washed each crucial body part.  When it came time to rinse, I
found myself lingering with the showerhead quite a bit longer than normal. 
Handheld showerheads were such a great invention.

As I toweled off, I heard a creak in the hallway just like
the night before.  Max was just on the other side of the door, and I was hot,
wet, and naked. 
Alright, enough already, I’m going to be late for work.
 
I finished toweling off and ran a brush through my hair.  I was only crossing
the hall, so I threw my towel around me, and flung open the bathroom door.

“Did you save me any hot water?” Max asked, standing outside
the door in his towel.

“Holy shit, you scared me!  How long have you been standing
there?”

“Why?  What were you doing in there?” 

“Oh, just making sure everything is clean and smelling
pretty,” I said, glancing down at my towel.

“Hmmmm. You smell great actually,” he offered with a lazy
grin.

I couldn’t help breaking eye contact and checking out his
chest and abs as I moved past him in the hallway. 
I swear he’s getting
hotter by the day. 

I decided I was going to have to start working out again and
get me a six-pack like that!  In high school, I was a runner, and I had always
enjoyed Pilates, both of which made my lanky frame look even longer and
leaner.  In college, I started going to the gym with my ex, Kiefer, but he
would send me over to the Stair Master or elliptical while he lifted weights
with his buddies.  He always made fun of my skinny arms, which pissed me off
considering he wouldn’t help me work on them.  I was not sure what I ever saw
in him.  He sure wasn’t hot like Max. He was actually kind of a dork. 
I
think I just needed to have a boyfriend in order to fit in and get my mother to
shut up.  I bet Max would give me a great work out!

I could smell the scent of Max’ body-wash as I left for
work. 
Yum! Living in the same house as him is either a stroke of genius or
the stupidest idea ever.  Only time will tell I guess.

Max

With Derek, Hadley, and Lara all working, the house was
quiet for the first time since I moved in.  I took the opportunity to set up my
new workshop and organize.  I couldn’t get the picture of Lara standing there
in nothing but a towel out of my head.   So, instead of starting work on a new
guitar, I decided to get mine out and play a little.  I had gotten rusty from
not playing much in recent years
.
  When I was young, I played every
night after dinner.  It was my favorite form of stress relief.  Celeste thought
it was more noise than music, so after we moved in together I played less and
less. 
Come to think of it, that’s another thing she has in common with my
dad.  He always hated my guitar, too. 

After warming up with some easy little riffs, I went through
several of my old favorites.  In the old days, I could sit and play for hours,
experimenting with various combinations seeing what kind of sounds I could
make.  As a teenager, I watched a lot of Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai videos,
trying to freelance the way they did.  It felt good to be jamming again and
going wherever the vibe took me.  About ten minutes into my rant, I actually
had tears streaming down my face.  It was as if playing released all of the emotional
crap that accumulated over the last few years. 

I suddenly realized just how important it was to pursue your
passions in life. 
Never again will I let anyone steer my life away from
what I love.
  Glancing down at my tattoo reinforced that thought.  Even
though I was still struggling financially, I hadn’t felt this free in years.

Lara

The Deuce was extremely dead for a Saturday night.  There
was a big outdoor concert, so apparently it was going to be dead until that was
over.  Derek had come in early, too.  He hoped to have a big night since he
took a week off and spent several grand fixing up the house.  I told him I
would be glad to take the night off and let him handle it.  He told me to stick
around ‘til nine, and if it was still dead, I could go home early.  Things got
more interesting about quarter after eight, when Celeste walked through the
door.  Not recognizing me, she walked right by and went straight to Derek.

“Hi, Derek. Have you seen Max?” she asked, leaning across
the bar to show off her cleavage.

“Not in a while. Why?” Derek replied, shooting me a look.

“Well, he was at our place today and took some stuff.  I
wanted to talk to him, but he’s got my number blocked and he’s not at the
workshop.” 

“If I see him, I’ll let him know you’re looking for him,”
Derek replied, attempting to brush her off.

“Yeah, we really need to get together and talk things out. 
It’s all a big misunderstanding.”

“So you’re saying you weren’t bangin’ his dad?” Derek
countered, much to my surprise.

“It wasn’t like that.  Max just jumps to the worst
conclusion sometimes.  James and I both wanted to help Max get his shit
together.  He’s been acting like a teenager.”

“You know, Celeste, he may not be raking it in right now,
but he seems to really like what he’s doing.”

“You know as well as I do that he’d be much better off
taking over the firm.  Do you know how much money partners make?  James made
seven figures last year!” 

“I know everything is always about money.  But who cares, if
he doesn’t actually want to be a lawyer?” 

As Derek turned his back to pour a beer, Celeste reached
across the bar and grabbed Derek’s phone.  I could tell she was sending a text,
and I knew it would be to Max.  I casually pulled out my phone and sent him one
as well:  “If you get a text from Derek, it was written by Celeste.”

“What the fuck, Celeste?” Derek raised his voice when he
turned and saw what she was doing. 

I would’ve said something to Derek sooner, but it was kind
of fun watching him bust her on his own.  She stayed at the bar and continued
to chat with Derek, even though I could tell he wanted to ignore her.  Since it
was so dead, he didn’t have many other distractions so he tried his best to be
nice.

“How’s it going out there?” I asked, when he came in the
back room.

“My god, she still thinks this is just a rough patch between
her and Max.  She’s gotta be one of the most delusional people I’ve ever met. 
On top of that, she’s being super sweet to me.  I’m sure she wants me to put in
a good word for her.  Good luck with that, bitch.”

When I punched out, I told Derek I was going home and said,
“Have a good night, Celeste.”

“You, too,” she replied, but I could tell she was wondering
why the hell I knew her name.  I just smiled to myself and headed out the door.

I had never been so excited to go home! I was speeding
almost the entire way.  When I pulled up, I could hear the sound of his
electric guitar emanating through the walls. 
Wow, he’s really good!  I’m
amazed he’s never been in a band.

I was glad to find his door was partly open, so I could just
watch and listen to him play without disturbing him.  It was almost magical the
way his body and the guitar seemed to be interconnected.  People were born with
that kind of musical intuition; it couldn't be taught.  After he played for
about ten minutes, he stopped, looked at the guitar, and set it down.  He then
turned around to an enthusiastic standing ovation of one.

“You’re incredible, Max! And wow, your guitar is just like
Tag’s!”

“Thanks. Yes, Granddad had two identical ones like this.  He
gave the second one to me.”

“Why don’t you play in a band?”

Max just shook his head.  “That’s another long story I’m
afraid.”

“One that involves a couple of your favorite people, no
doubt?”

 Max gave me a shallow smile, still shaking his head. “Ready
for your first guitar lesson?”

“Are you kidding me?  Sure!” 

He didn’t have to ask twice, but I had to admit to not
knowing the first thing about a guitar. 

“It’s not hard.  You’ll catch on fast,” he confidently
assured me.  “We’ll just start with a few basic chords tonight A, C, D, E and
G.”

That sounds easy enough,
was the thought that
apparently jinxed me.  The A chord, no problem.  D and E were a little tougher,
but I got them, too.  My C chord was just plain lame. And when I got to the G,
it was clear that my fingers just didn’t bend that way. 

On the upside, Max was really patient with me, and he
smelled awesome.  So even though I was slightly frustrated with my abilities,
it was a great first lesson.  After working on the G chord for who knows how
long, Max wanted to review A, D and E.  Unfortunately, I was too distracted to
remember any of them.  So I did the next best thing.  I released the strap, set
down the guitar, and turned toward him.

“I guess I was born a lover, not a player,” I said, giving
him my sexy eyes.
  This is your cue Max!

Max

Since Lara’s a music major, she actually appreciates my
talent.  It’s been so long since I’ve had positive feedback that it feels
pretty damn good.

When she gave up on the chords and turned around, it was as
if she was reading my mind.  Sitting behind her, smelling her, and feeling the
body heat radiating between us was starting to get to me.  I was actually
contemplating setting down the guitar myself and sweeping her up in my arms. 
It was really strange that right after I had the thought, she set down the
guitar and turned into me.  It was as if we had a special connection.

“I know you’re feeling the same tension as me, but I don’t
want to screw anything up here.  We have to live together so I don’t want to
push ahead too fast,” I told her, even though I wanted more than anything to
take her to my new bed and break it in right.

Lara

Okay. This is the tricky part.

My heart wanted to level with Max and admit that I had been
head over heels in love with him for the better part of eight years.  My brain,
however, knew that I should keep all of the sappy crap to myself and tease him
a while longer.  Both Brea and my mom had preached the power of reverse
psychology for years.  Since my natural instincts always led to self-torture, I
decided to follow their advice and play the little games. 
I hate playing
games, especially when it comes to Max.  I wish I could just tell him how I
feel and jump him, right here, right now!